


i was there when you fell from the clouds

by gracezodiac



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-28
Updated: 2016-02-28
Packaged: 2018-05-23 19:06:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6127067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gracezodiac/pseuds/gracezodiac
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>And Luke really needed the break, even if he didn't want to admit it, Han thought to himself. When was the kid going to learn to take care of himself?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>  <i>Or: Han and Luke spend an evening with their friends, except Luke is exhausted and needs looking after.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	i was there when you fell from the clouds

**Author's Note:**

> title taken from [that gay ass song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRgEKvpTkIY) in luke skywalker's spotify playlist 
> 
> other warnings: alcohol, mentions of disordered eating (not an actual eating disorder, luke is just forgetful)
> 
> this ended up having more angst than i'd originally planned for, but then again it was only going to be 1k words when i started so there we go
> 
> inspired by the ask i sent to ihateskysolo about luke being really affectionate whilst tired
> 
> please leave comments! 
> 
> enjoy!

Walking down the long hallway that led to the archives always made Han uneasy; Coruscant was this huge bustling planet, teeming with movement and life, and yet more often than not he would walk down corridors such as this, where the only sounds he could hear were the scuffling of his boots against the linoleum floor, and his own steady breathing. 

It was far too creepy. 

Maybe it would be better if the archives were above ground, so at least he could hear the rest of the world on the other side of the walls, but of course they were buried under the surface of the planet, meaning it also took a long ass time to actually reach the damn silent place. Why was he even on his way there again? Ah, yes, to collect a certain someone, who had lost track of the time. Again.

Han wasn't especially annoyed though; he knew how much this place meant to Luke. During the Purge all those years ago, the Emperor had destroyed a substantial amount of the records related to the Jedi, but there were still those few that remained, and he knew it was important that Luke read them and gather what he could, so that he could understand more about this religion of his and what it entailed. Couldn't be easy being the only Jedi left in existence, Han mused – from his perspective, Luke was doing a pretty good job.

It had been a busy few weeks for the both of them; they'd been dragged to meeting after meeting, and when not trawling through the archives, Luke had been helping the Rogue Squadron with training new recruits, along with some serious repairs to their crafts, as well as running various missions for Mothma and Madine. Han was glad they finally managed to grab some time for themselves – hence why they'd planned to have a small get-together that evening; it had been too long since them and their friends had been able to see each other in circumstances other than official business, where they could have a good time and not worry about anything. And Luke really needed the break, even if he didn't want to admit it, Han thought to himself. When was the kid going to learn to take care of himself?

Once he'd finally reached the entrance to the great hulk of a building, he peered in, noticing a figure sat on the floor at the far side of the room, surrounded by a mass of data pads. With a grin, Han strolled over to him, leaning against a pillar a few feet away from Luke, and offhandedly noticing how young the Jedi looked as he focused on his studies. There was also a tension noticeable in the way he was hunched over, shoulders drawn up tight. Some of his research must have turned up a few unwanted revelations, and Han realised he needed to do something about that before the kid overwhelmed himself, like he had a habit of doing.

Luke raised his head as Han approached, his eyes warming and offering a gentle smile to the Corellian, feeling himself become much more at ease than he had been up until that point. They'd spent far too little time with each other over the past few weeks, which Luke felt incredibly guilty for – things had gotten so busy and he'd rarely been at the apartment, and when he was Han was either out doing his own thing, or he'd already fallen asleep. He'd missed him an awful lot.

“Han.”

“Knew I'd be able to find you down here. I don't see how you can stand it in this place.”

“I thought you'd appreciate it, all you ever talk about is wanting some peace and quiet.”

“This ain't the kind of quiet I had in mind.” 

Luke raised a questioning eyebrow, encouraging him elaborate.

“I was thinking more along the lines of sitting in some bar with good ale and good company. Or sitting on a cliff overlooking the ocean, like back on Corellia. Y'know. _That_ sort of quiet.”

Luke nodded and hummed thoughtfully, yet the small upturn of his mouth gave away his amusement. It certainly did seem nice, but Luke knew it was a luxury he couldn't really have. Not at the moment anyway, there were far too many things he needed to do.

“You must think about stuff like that sometimes.” Han added, knowing Luke was toying with the idea. The latter just retorted with a 'maybe', looking almost shyly up at Han, as if embarrassed by the notion that he wished for things for himself. It was that damned martyr streak in him, Han thought. They'd discuss that another time though. 

“So,” Han started, looking pointedly at the mess in front of him, “find anything?”

At the reference to his research, Luke sat up a little straighter and stretched out, in a vain attempt to ease the various aches in his body. “A few things.” He concluded. “Mainly about the old code.”

“Uh huh... And it's got you worked up hasn't it?”

Luke paused, trying to think of a response that wouldn't worry Han unnecessarily, but his silence was long enough that Han continued on, knowing he was right.

“I know you kid, I know you feel as though you have to do everything the way they did. But remember what we talked about, okay – this is your future, not theirs. You gotta do what feels right to you, not whatever all these records say. This,” he gestured to the data pads, “is about learning from the past, not trying to recreate it.”

Luke chuckled quietly, his eyes fluttering closed for a second. “When did you get so wise?”

“What can I say, I'm full of surprises. And it's not because I'm getting old, so don't you start implying anything.”

“Wouldn't dream of it.”

There was a smile on Luke's face and Han could see some of the tension ease away from him. Good, he thought.

“Now then, whilst I know you could spend the rest of the evening down here, you have other obligations to attend to, oh wise Jedi Knight.”

With a frown, Luke tried to think of what he was supposed to be doing this evening, and was more than a little ashamed when he realised that he wasn't even sure what day it was. Han, who had clearly anticipated this, prompted him further.

“The drinks evening. Leia won't be pleased if you don't show up, especially since we're hosting.”

“That's tonight?”

Damn... The kid really was worn out, Han thought, his chest becoming tight with a surge of tenderness. Everybody was so demanding of the Jedi, using him for their own needs and never considering that Luke was only human too. He had his limits. Gathered they were higher than most people's, but he needed rest, and he was his own damn person for crying out loud, he was allowed to take breaks and do things for himself. 

“Kid... When was the last time you got some rest, huh?”

“Han...”

“When?”

There was a sigh, and Luke looked away.

“I'm not sure.”

“We don't have to do this tonight if you're not up for it. They'll understand.”

“No no, it's fine, really. I'll be okay, I want to do it.”

Han stared at him for a while, and then stepped away from the pillar with a shrug.

“Alright. But if you change your mind that's okay too.”

Luke smiled softly at him, rising to his feet, but before he could take another step forwards, a sudden dizziness swept over him and he swayed dangerously, reaching out for something to steady himself. Han rushed forward immediately to grab his outstretched arms, holding onto him tightly.

“Woah there... You okay?”

Luke smiled at his concern, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks.

“I just stood up too quickly, that's all... I'm fine, don't worry about me.”

“Kid, I do nothing but worry about you, I figured you'd learned that by now.”

In fact, Han was pretty sure all the worrying he'd done over Luke throughout the time they'd known each other had taken ten years off his life. Luke had a way of attracting trouble no matter what, which was arguably a flaw they both shared, but Luke also had a special habit of throwing himself into every dangerous situation they came across. It was that damn bleeding heart of his, always desperate to help those that needed it. And whilst it stressed Han out to no end, he wouldn't have it any other way.

An idea popped into his head and he couldn't help the smirk that crept onto his face. “Y'know... If you're feeling dizzy I could just pick you up and carry you back...”

Luke rolled his eyes in good nature, giving a pointed look to the Corellian. “I'm not that tired.” He resolved, trying to prove himself.

“Sure,” Han drawled, as he slid an arm around Luke's waist. “I'm still not letting go of you though.”

Luke just chuckled quietly in response, returning the gesture as they began making their way back up to the surface.

*

By the time they got back to the apartment, Luke was struggling to keep his eyes open; something that hadn't gone amiss by Han. Once inside, Han guided Luke over to the sofa and sat him down, keeping his hands on his shoulders so he couldn't stand up again. “You stay here,” he said firmly, “I'll get the rest of the drinks sorted. Have some of the food that's out, cause I'll bet you can't remember the last time you ate either, hmm?” 

Another embarrassed blush was his answer.

“That's what I thought. We'll talk about that later, right now, eat.”

Before Luke could protest, Han had already walked away over to the counter-top where he'd been preparing things earlier – bottles of various shapes and sizes were strewn about, as he'd tried to decide on a final selection. There was shuffling coming from the sofa as Luke tucked his legs under himself, getting into a comfortable position. The sounds gave Han some peace of mind as he realised Luke was following his advice, for once.

“You did all this earlier...?”

Glancing back, Han offered a wry grin to his lover.

“Yeah, well I had a funny feeling you weren't gonna be in much of a state to do anything, let alone set up all this stuff. Besides, gave me something to do.”

The two lapsed briefly into quiet, the only noticeable sounds being the clinking of glasses and bottles as Han continued to narrow down the selection, before Luke spoke up again.

“Han... Why do we have so much food?”

“Blame your sister. She told me off for being a rotten host last time we did something like this, so I'm making sure she can't slate us for it this time.”

Luke smiled to himself, imagining how that conversation must have gone. Carefully, he stretched forward, without moving off the sofa, and picked up a platter, observing what was on it. Suddenly his smile transformed into a grin and he put the platter back down, looking towards Han.

“Did you make all these yourself?”

“Contrary to popular belief I'm not entirely useless, y'know. I do put effort into things occasionally.”

Although his reply was in good humour, Luke couldn't help the warmth of feelings that bubbled up within him, as he realised just how much Han actually cared about tonight and how effort much he was putting in, to make sure everyone had a good time. Looking towards him, Luke noticed how the last remnants of sunlight were streaming in through the window, illuminating Han in a soft glow. He committed the image to memory, and the longer he looked at the Corellian, the more the stresses of the past few weeks seemed to fade away, and all he could think about was how impossibly in love he was with Han Solo. 

The man in question, had decided on the final choice of drinks, and put the remaining bottles back in the cupboard, feeling satisfied with himself. He turned, with the intention of going to join Luke on the sofa, but was stopped by a pair of arms wrapping around his waist and holding onto him tightly, whilst a head buried itself in his neck. “Hey...” Han spoke quietly, wrapping his arms around him in return, heart fluttering about in his chest. Luke whined quietly, out of happiness or distress Han couldn't quite tell, and so began to stroke Luke's back soothingly as they held each other.

“You okay?” Han asked after a few minutes, beginning to worry that Luke was still worked up over the records from earlier, but when he received an affirmative hum in response, he relaxed a little more, pressing a kiss into Luke's hair. They hadn't had a chance to just hold each other in a while, and Han had missed it dearly. There was something very reassuring about just having Luke in his arms, listening to the gentle sound of his breathing. After Endor, Luke had become so distant from everyone, withdrawn and reserved, and although things were different now, Han still worried that one day he'd turn around and Luke would be gone, as if he was never there at all. 

It scared him half to death.

And if that meant holding onto Luke's hand whenever possible, reaching out to lay a hand on his shoulder, putting an arm around his waist to make sure he was still there, who was anyone to judge him? 

“I love you.” Luke whispered, quietly but firmly, breaking Han from his thoughts. He pulled back to look at Luke's face, his chest tightening at the expression of warmth and devotion he found there.

“Ah kid...” He sighed, unable to stop the raw emotion in his voice. He loved Luke something fierce, and seeing him like this, all sleepy and affectionate made his god-damn heart leap. He brought a hand up to cup Luke's face, and used the other to gently run his fingers through the soft strands of dark blond hair. Luke smiled softly, and tilted his head up so that he could rub their noses together. 

_He's gonna be the death of me,_ Han thought, and swore in that moment that he was going to take Luke away from this damned place and whatever responsibilities that had been forced upon him, if just for a little while. He'd take him to Corellia, stay in a lake house and let him see the ocean; kid had been all over the damned galaxy at this point and yet had never experienced what waves looked like, crashing on the shore. Han would fix that.

He pressed a kiss to the top of Luke's head, before pulling back to rest their foreheads together – noting how Luke was beginning to look _very_ sleepy indeed. But, he was smiling of those smiles that could light up the whole room, and it put to rest any doubts in Han's mind that Luke was still worried about the things he'd mentioned in the archives. It was one less thing for him to worry about.

The sound of the buzzer from the front door alerted them to the fact that they did have plans this evening, and couldn't stay wrapped up in each others arms forever. With a groan, Han disentangled himself, offering an apologetic grin. 

“Looks like it's time to get this party started. You sure you're still up for this?” 

Luke simply nodded, moving to stand next to Han, and reached out to twine their fingers together, squeezing gently. 

“Alright, let's not keep our guests waiting.”

Han squeezed his hand back in return, and the pair of them went to answer the door, pleased to see that it was Leia who was the first to arrive.

“Boys.” She greeted, allowing herself into the apartment, then turning around and giving them a once over. What she was looking for, Han wasn't sure, but the intensity of her gaze unnerved him slightly. Luke on the other hand, who seemed not to have noticed her study of them, stepped forward and embraced her warmly, enveloping her in a hug. The twins hadn't managed to see each other recently in a setting that wasn't some sort of meeting, and those were never the most exciting, or uplifting of atmospheres – Luke was glad to finally see her in a place where she could relax and talk freely.

Leia stepped back from the embrace, frowning slightly, turning her gaze to Han. “I thought you were supposed to be taking care of him.” She gestured to Luke, who looked confused. Han just shrugged, waving his hands about nonchalantly. 

“Not for lack of trying...” he pointed out, grateful to know what she'd been judging them for, but feeling a bit affronted – he took very good care of Luke, when he actually managed to get five minutes with him. If she wanted someone to blame for Luke's state, she could take it up with Madine and the ridiculous expeditions he kept sending Luke on. “Have you met your brother? He's impossible.”

Leia just shook her head, amused by Han's petulance. “He looks exhausted.”

Luke, who had remained quiet up until this point, felt the need to stand up for himself. 

“Really, I'm okay.”

They both just turned and gave him a pointed look. He put his arms up in defence, but ended up having to cover his mouth at an unexpected yawn. Leia raised an eyebrow at him, to which he sighed and yes okay, maybe he was a little tired, but he was _fine,_ really, he didn't see what the fuss was about. Nevertheless, he sat down on the sofa and recognised he wasn't going to win this argument, and tried a different tactic instead. 

“Is Nadiya not joining us?”

Leia's face turned from morbid amusement to something much softer, fonder. “Not tonight,” she explained, taking a seat on the sofa opposite Luke and making herself comfortable. “Mon Mothma wanted to speak to her. Well, to the both of us actually, but Nadiya told me she'd cover for me. Something about how tonight was way more important than some debriefing. For me, anyhow. I think a part of her didn't want to intrude, what with it being us old-timers tonight.”

“She's always welcome though, regardless. She knows that right?” Han asked, taking his own seat next to Luke. Leia and Nadiya had been together for less than a year, but everyone knew they were going to be life partners. The two women couldn't be more perfectly matched for one another; both raised as royalty on their home planets, both fought for the rebellion, and now they both shared a place in the senate. They were good for each other, and Leia finally seemed at peace. 

“She does. Trust me, she's saddened that she won't be around to hear your 'outlandish tales', I think was the phrased she used.”

“Ha! Outlandish... They're all true!”

“Uh huh...”

“They are, aren't they Luke?”

Luke just smiled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Of course Han.”

“Damn Skywalkers...” Han muttered under his breath, but the twins heard it anyway, eliciting a laugh from the pair. Luke snuggled up to him in apology, nuzzling against the side of his face. Han couldn't help but grin and put an arm around him, leaning into the contact. He realised half a second later, that they weren't alone, and turned to look at Leia, embarrassed and with an apology on his tongue, but before he could say anything she just rolled her eyes affectionately and smiled at the pair. The buzzer sounded interrupted them, and for the second time that evening Han had to tear himself away from Luke. 

Upon opening the door he was greeted by some of the Rogues cheering loudly. Han made a sarcastic remark and let them all inside, greeting them all individually. Wedge, who had immediately headed towards the drinks table, grinned in approval at the selection laid out.

“This is why we go to yours Solo, you provide us with the decent stuff.”

“If it ain't Corellian, it ain't decent, end of.”

“Not that you're proud or anything, right?”

“Who says I am, I'm just telling it how it is.”

Wedge just laughed and clapped him on the back. At the other side of the room, Wes whistled appreciatively at the different plates of food that were scattered about. “I'm impressed Luke, this is quite something.”

“This is certainly more than I was expecting.” Agreed Leia, who had moved from the sofa to the armchair to give the rest of the Rogues some place to sit.

“Wasn't Luke that prepared this.”

The group turned to Han and gave him a disbelieving look. 

“It's true,” Luke admitted, “credit where credit's due.”

Wes stared at the both of them suspiciously. “Are you sure you haven't started drinking early?”

“Don't think I won't kick you out Janson...” Han grumbled, bringing some glasses over to Luke and Leia. The rogue simply put up his hands in surrender and laughed heartily, grabbing a drink for himself. Soon enough, everyone was seated, with the rogues occupying one sofa, Luke and Han on the other, and Leia on the armchair, and everything began falling into place.

*

A warm atmosphere filled the room as the evening progressed. With everyone pleasantly tipsy, memories were shared from long ago, recounting the happier moments of the fight against the Empire, along with tales from a time before that. Han tended to be at the front of these discussions, boasting loudly about the things he'd done whilst he was still a smuggler, and the dangerous foes he'd had to outrun. 

Whilst he told these stories, Luke's eyes glazed over in wonder and awe, and when Han glanced at him, he realised the expression Luke wore was similar to the one he'd had when they'd first met, when Luke was just a tender farm boy, eager to see the stars. Knowing he was looking at Han like that, like he was a wonder of the universe, was somewhat overwhelming; despite everything he was saying tonight, he really wasn't anything that astonishing – he was just an ex-smuggler after all. 

And yet Luke hung on his every word, leaning against him and holding onto his arm whenever Han wasn't waving it about trying to explain something. Han made sure to return the affection, putting an arm around his lover, or linking their fingers, brushing his thumb back and forth over Luke's hand.

“Hey Han, remember when part of the Hoth base caved in, where a bunch of Taun-Taun's were being kept, and you were the only one to go rescue them?”

Luke gasped quietly and stared at Han in shock. “You never told me that was you...” He whispered loudly, amazed that it had slipped past him that it was Han who'd saved them. Han felt his cheeks start to burn and tried to be casual about it. 

“Well I couldn't just leave 'em there, who knows what could have happened to them. It was where we were keeping the families and offspring, couldn't just abandon them, some of them were injured. And we didn't know if the speeders were going to work, they were our only mode of transport.” He added, trying to will away his embarrassment. Many a time during their stay on Hoth he'd vocalised his displeasure of having to ride the beasts, claiming they hated him, were temperamental at best, and smelt of something rotten. For everyone to know he cared about them was... Well, a little mortifying. 

Luke however, was beaming at him, evidently taken by this news. He began to gently nuzzle Han's face, until the Corellian turned to look at him, and then rubbed their noses together, like he'd done earlier. “You're a good man Han Solo...” He murmured, unable to keep his eyes from closing. Han, briefly forgetting they were in the company of a lot of people, just smiled back at his lover, pressing a kiss to his forehead. 

Upon realising they were completely on display for everyone to see, Han turned to look at the others, expecting some kind of mocking comments, but everyone was either getting another drink or talking to themselves. The only one watching them was Leia, who gave Han a knowing look. At least he could trust that she wouldn't say anything outright, not in front of them; Luke wasn't usually so openly affectionate with him, not in the company of others, and he didn't want someone to point it out and embarrass the Jedi, leading him to not doing it again. 

So maybe it was a little selfish of Han, but god-damn, he adored Luke like nothing else, and after he'd tried to shut himself off after Endor, Han was going to take any affection Luke was willing to give. And maybe, although he wouldn't admit it, there was some insecure part of him that needed the validation that Luke still loved him and hadn't realised he deserved better than the likes of an ex-smuggler with an over-inflated ego and relaxed morals.

“Hey guys...” Wedge drawled, a wicked grin on his face, “Remember when we put Luke through his initiation?”

“Initiation?” Han asked, only to be met with a whine from Luke, who then began to crawl into his lap and hide from everyone, leading Han to suspect that the Jedi had had more to drink than he'd initially thought. Still, he rubbed Luke's back supportively, whilst the other Rogue's laughed at the memory. 

“Yeah, y'know, since he was new to the ranks and stuff. Of course, like any proper initiation we didn't let him know what we were making him do. Poor Luke here just went along with everything we said.”

This earned another pitiful whine from Luke, who had finally managed to sit himself in Han's lap, legs swung over to one side, taking up the length of the sofa, and head buried in his shoulder. The Corellian pressed kisses into his hair and shushed him gently, thoroughly amused and curious to hear what they'd actually made him do.

“There was your usual stuff, getting him to clean parts of our ships and stuff, although he was more than happy to do that. But the proper initiation happened on Hoth, since that was the first chance we'd had to do it. First of all we packed some box full of snow, and convinced him it was something really important, for her royal highness. Told him not to look in it but take it directly to her.” 

Leia suddenly started with a look of recognition. “Oh, I remember this...” She muttered, picking up another drink.

Wedge snorted, “We told him he had to stay with her whilst she opened it, to make sure everything was okay. And so he did. We, of course, were all waiting outside the door listening in. Understandably, Leia here was not happy with being sent a box of snow. Some of the things we heard...”

“I think 'just when I thought you were a decent person' was one of my favourites. Or 'if I have to deal with another one of you moon-jockeys I'm going to force you all outside in the sub-zero temperatures until you take something seriously for once in your lives', that was a good one.”

“It had been a rough day,” Leia interjected defensively, raising her drink in the air, “I did apologise to him when I realised you were the ones who set him up. Should have known, Luke is far too honourable to ever do something like that, unlike the rest of you hooligans.” 

Her comment was met with laughter, and Han shook his head in disbelief, surprised that they'd sent him to inadvertently piss off Leia, of all people. They'd sparred enough on Hoth for Han to know exactly how vicious she could be; he'd admired that streak in her, and whilst he'd fought back just as hard, he had to admit it was certainly more than a little unnerving to be on the receiving end of her shouting. 

“Second half of his initiation was way more fun though!” Wes piped up, linking his hands behind his head and leaning back into the sofa. “We woke him up in the middle of the night and told him there was an emergency meeting in the south hanger. We ran off before he could ask any questions, and when he got there and we'd turned as many lights off as we could, so he could barely see, and then ambushed him in a snowball attack.”

Luke shivered at the memory and whimpered into Han's neck, face burning with embarrassment. Han just chuckled and began stroking his hair, listening to the rest of the story. 

“He was so clueless, he just yelped very loudly, before finally realising what was going on and started trying to fight us back. There was no way he was going to win of course, we absolutely wrecked him.” 

“You guys are the worst...” Luke mumbled loud enough for everyone to hear, which sent another wave of laughter through the group. Leia tutted at them all, but couldn't hide her obvious amusement. However, she moved the conversation onto a different topic, as some form of apology to her brother, leaving him to sulk quietly in Han's embrace.

*

As the evening wore on, things began to calm down, everyone slipping off into their own conversations. Luke hadn't moved from his spot in Han's lap and made the occasional remark, but as the night continued he became more subdued, trying to hide his yawns in Han's shoulder. The latter just held him closer, running his fingers through Luke's hair, feeling extremely content for the first time in a while. 

Wedge rose from the sofa, much later, stretching his arms. “Well, this has been wonderful but I think it's about time we all headed home, since we've infringed on you for long enough. And besides, I think some of us need some serious rest.” With that he sent a pointed glance over to Luke, who had at some point within the last half hour, fallen asleep in Han's arms. The rest of the Rogues grinned at them both, rising from where they'd been sat, and began taking their empty glasses over to the counter. 

Han, who was appalled that he hadn't noticed his lover falling asleep earlier, carefully moved Luke off of his lap, trying not to disturb him. Much to his relief he was successful, and began to quietly clean up with everyone, making sure everything was collected into one pile, before standing by the door and wishing everyone a goodnight as they left the apartment, expressing their gratitude and sentiments. Leia leant against the wall by the door, not quite ready to leave yet, watching Han with a look he couldn't quite decipher. 

“It's been good tonight.” She commented, as he ran a hand through his hair, fatigue beginning to catch up with him.

“I'm glad you think so.” He grinned, moving so he was stood in front of her. Although he let his usual cockiness slip into his reply, he was privately relieved she'd approved of the evening. These days it felt as though he sought her approval more than he had when they were lovers, although it was entirely unnecessary – she'd given them her blessing long ago, and yet it still didn't feel like enough. 

It all came back to Luke, in the end. Leia was aware she'd grown awfully protective of him after finding out their relation to one another, and all she wanted what was best for her twin; it was obvious that Han was trying to prove that he could be that. But it wasn't her that needed convincing. Seeing the effect he had on Luke was more than enough to assure her, but Han had this layer of insecurity that she could see right through, and by earning her approval, she knew Han could start to convince himself that he was good enough for Luke too. It was odd, she thought, how he was yet to realise that Luke would always choose him, no matter what. He was a damned fool for not seeing it, but it was somewhat endearing too. She knew he'd get there, in time. 

She watched as he looked over to her brother, still sleeping peacefully on the sofa, and an almost bemused expression crossing her features. “You know they wouldn't have said anything, right?”

Han made a confused noise, not entirely sure what she meant.

“I know you were worried that they'd make comments about Luke being how he was with you. They won't do.”

“Oh yeah? What makes you so sure?”

“Alright, maybe they'll tease him a little when he's working with them next,” she started playfully, before a serious tone entered her voice, “but they wouldn't ever say anything outright in the moment. You make him happy Han, and they respect that. After Endor... They worried about him.”

“Yeah,” Han replied, looking over towards Luke, “we all did.”

The pair stood silently for a few minutes, remembering that time all too well. It wasn't something that was discussed much.

“What about you?” Han asked suddenly, “Are you happy?” 

Leia paused for a moment, thinking about her answer. “Yes.” She replied quietly, a few moments later. “More than.” 

She turned her gaze to Luke and smiled at his sleeping form. “He needs a break, Han. He puts so much responsibility on his shoulders.” A sad look washed over her face, and she wrapped her arms around herself. “Take him somewhere quiet, where he doesn't have to worry about anything.” 

“Yes ma'am.” Han mock-saluted, and Leia couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head at his response. She wouldn't have to worry about him, Han thought, since he'd already decided earlier that he was taking Luke on a well deserved holiday. 

“I suppose I should be getting back too, before Nadiya starts worrying.”

“Send her our regards.”

“I will.” She started to leave, but paused in the doorway, turning back to face him again.

“Thank you again for tonight... Take care Han.”

“Likewise princess.” 

And with a smile she was gone, leaving Han alone with his thoughts. Although things hadn't worked out between them, which they could both agree was for the best, they'd ended up being better friends for it, which Han was extremely grateful for. Leia was a truly wonderful woman, and he was glad there was someone who could fully appreciate her now. Nadiya was good for her, more than Han ever was, or could be. And now they were both free to be true to themselves and those around them. Speaking of which...

Han programmed the lights off by the control panel next to the door and walked over to the sofa where Luke was resting, glad to see a peaceful expression on his face – those were far and few between these days. He was a little surprised Luke had managed to stay awake so long, considering the state he was in. “Time to get you to bed kid.” Han spoke quietly, tucking a strand of hair away from Luke's eyes. Carefully he scooped him up in his arms the way he'd suggested earlier that day, hooking an arm under Luke's knees and the other around his back, and began carrying him back to their bedroom, noticing how the kid still weighed next to nothing. Luke stirred at being lifted and whined softly, wrapping his arms around Han's neck. The Corellian murmured reassurances to him, stepping through into the bedroom and gently lowering Luke down onto the bed, unable to keep the smile off of his face at how the kid was acting. _Not much of a kid anymore though_ , Han mused, looking at him now and remembering how Luke had been when they'd first met. The naïve young farm boy had become a man, and also the saviour of the galaxy along the way.

With some effort, Han worked to remove Luke's boots in the semi-dark of their room, carefully placing them to one side. Luke watched him fondly, whilst fighting every urge in him to just fall asleep right there; he wanted to spend some more time with Han, after having been apart so long, it was hardly fair that the moment they were finally alone together he was overcome with exhaustion.

Han removed his own boots, before sending a questioning glance towards the door. He made as if to leave the room, which Luke frowned at, and reached out to grab his wrist before he could get anywhere. 

“Stay...” He whispered, something desperate in his voice.

“M'just gonna make sure every thing's cleared up.”

“It can wait.” 

Han just chuckled, and realising there wasn't a chance he was staying away from Luke for another minute, laid down on the bed next to him, turning on his side so they were facing each other. There was still a gap between them, and Han smiled softly at his lover, taking the moment to appreciate how beautiful the Jedi looked, bathed in the low light, with a sleepy smile on his face.

“C'mere...” Luke murmured, reaching out towards the Corellian, not wanting there to be any more distance between them. Han obliged, moving over and wrapping his arms around Luke, the latter snuggling up to him and rubbing their noses together, like he had done so many times that evening. Han was pleasantly surprised when Luke closed the distance between them, kissing him softly; it occurred to him it was the first time they'd kissed in a while, so he poured his whole heart into it, trying to convey everything he felt towards the Jedi. 

Luke sighed quietly, holding on tightly to the back of Han's shirt and tangling their legs together whilst they kissed, a selfish part of him wishing they could stay like this forever. Recently, everything had been starting to overwhelm him again, like it had after Endor, and he had no idea how to handle any of it. He was grateful Han showed up in the archives when he did, because Luke knew if he hadn't, he'd have gotten lost in all the data pads and information and the expectations of the past that always seemed to be following him around, wherever he went. But Han always seemed to chase those ghosts away, letting Luke breathe, and he loved him so much for it, for the way he allowed Luke to just be himself and not worry about any of it. Reluctantly, Luke pulled away from the kiss, knowing he had to tell Han how he felt, because he deserved to know.

“I love you...” He spoke quietly, voice shaking a little. “Han, I love you _so_ much... I... Han...” 

Han hugged him fiercely, burying his head in his shoulder. “I know Luke... I know.” 

They stayed like that for a while, holding onto each other as if they were all the other had left in the galaxy. Han knew they'd have to sit down and have a talk at some point, because something was clearly getting to the kid, and Han needed to know Luke wasn't going to crash and burn, like he had a habit of doing – like he'd done last time. Han was going to look after him, like he'd promised. When he took him to Corellia, he'd make sure Luke was able to enjoy himself, and they could spend all the time in the world together. And if it was the future Luke was worried about, they could discuss what they were going to do about that. Whatever he needed, Han would be there for him. They'd get through this, they'd managed to take down the whole Empire, they could sort this out too. Han would be with him every step of the way. And he knew Luke would be there for him too.

Relaxing slightly, Han pulled back, allowing Luke to do the same so they could look at each other once more. “I love you too.” Han spoke firmly, kissing Luke again, feeling the tension slowly dissipate from his lover. He brought a hand up to cup Luke's face and slowly rubbed his thumb back and forth over his cheek, bringing a small smile from Luke, who's eyes fluttered shut as exhaustion finally began to take over him. Han pulled the sheets over them, turning to lay on his back, whilst Luke snuggled up to him, head resting on his shoulder and an arm around his waist, finally ready to let himself get some rest. He knew in the morning Luke would complain that they'd fallen asleep in their clothes, but there wasn't a chance Han was going to bother removing them now.

“Sleep well kid...” Han whispered, pressing a kiss to his hair. Luke made a small noise in response, falling asleep not long after. Han stayed up for a little while longer, gently running his fingers through Luke's hair, concentrating on the rise and fall of his chest, wanting to know Luke was safe in his arms. They'd be okay, he thought to himself. They had each other and they had friends who cared about them. They had Leia, and she'd make sure nothing happened to her brother. They'd be okay. 

And with that, he let his eyes fall shut, sleep finally claiming him too.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to vince for beta'ing this for me, i cannot begin to describe how much it meant to me
> 
> this is dedicated to ani, mio, toki, and vince, you're all utterly brilliant and i'm so glad to know you all <3
> 
> please leave comments, i need the validation


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